Abit IX38 Quad GT Review

Introduction:

A motherboard is not a motherboard, or is it? How does one manufacturer step out in front of another? Is the reason to buy one brand over another just a matter of the company's reputation, or is performance the determining factor? Many times the manufacturer's reputation takes precedence over the actual performance of the motherboard. In today's world, you are only as good as your last product. Abit has had that last success with the IP35 Pro and its performance is still in many peoples' minds when it comes to performance. With Abit stepping into the X38 chipset feeding frenzy with the IX38 Quad Gt, will it garner the same praise that the IP35 series enjoyed, or will it putter off into the distance never to be seen again? With features such as support for the latest 45nm processors (1333MHz and above), 100% solid state capacitors, new generation digital PWM, 8-channel home theater sound, three 16x PCI-E slots (2x, 16x, 1x4x) with Crossfire and PCI 2.0 support, the Abit IX 38 Speedster should not be just your average Sunday drive.

Closer Look:

The Abit IX38 Quad Gt comes in a flashy, red box prominently featuring a Formula 1 car emblazoned with the Abit logo and the motherboard name. Flashy and red usually denote speed in my mind. The nickname of the IX38 is the "Speedster," but just how fast will she go? The rear panel details the feature set of the motherboard, really highlighting the new technologies used on the IX38.

Once past the flashy packaging of the IX38 Quad GT, the board is housed in a black inner enclosure with a clear cover showcasing the IX38. The bundled accessories are stored in a box under the main compartment. Included in the bundle are the motherboard documentation, a quick start guide, uGuru documentation, a quick reference sticker to display jumper settings inside the enclosure, I/O panel, driver disc and the drive connection cables. The bundle with this high performance board is actually quite spartan compared to some of the others I have seen.